Dive Brief:
- The EPA must set federal regulations for disposing of coal ash properly, according to a ruling issued by a federal court.
- Environmental and public health groups filed a lawsuit in April 2012 against the EPA's lack of federal regulations concerning ash.
- The court will issue a Memorandum Opinion in the next 30 days detailing its reasoning in the case.
Dive Insight:
The ruling will force the EPA to create a timeline in which to put the regulations into effect. Ash is the second largest industrial waste stream in the nation and is composed of contaminants such as arsenic, lead, mercury and selenium.